Chain-link-forming machine.



F. H. HOWARD.

CHAIN LINK FORMING MACHINE. APPLICATlON FILED MAR. 18. I918.

Patented July 2,1918.

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F. H. HQWARD.

CHAIN LINK FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION men MAR. 18, I918.

Patented July 2, 1918.

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rnANK H. nowanto, or READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

cHAIN-LINK-FORMING MACHINE.

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To all whom it may concern Zeit known that I, FRANK H. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Chain-Link- Forming Machines, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention relates to improvements in chain link forming machines, and the object in the present invention is to provide a machine in which open links of various sizes are bentto thedesired form by a succession of steps, and in which the resultant of those steps is a fully formed chain link, open as to its meeting ends, and sprung apart to facilitate the forming of a chain by joining a plurality of said links.

The invention contemplates a machine adapted to receive the bar from which the link is to be formed, imparting to said bar the initialbending step, turning up one end of the bar and completing the link by a second bending step.

The machine disclosed also comprises means for presenting a mandrelwhen the linkis to be formed, and for withdrawing it after the last step of the link formation.

. Theinvention is more fully described in the following specification and. clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which show a machine embodying a simple form, of my invention, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of, the machine, showing the jaws by which the initial bendingstep is taken, in closed position, oras they appear after they have, been actuated toproduce said step.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the: machine, taken through the line 2-2 of Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view,showing a. side elevation of the link bending members, the mandrel and aportion of the associated parts.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a link, such as may be formed on the machine described.

The numeral 1 designates the frame and :2 the bed plate of the machine. About the longitudinal center of the machine is located a mandrel 3, mounted on the upper end of a rod 4: and adapted for vertical movement through the medium of air pressure, contained in an ordinary compressed air cyl- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, late.

Application filed March 18, 1918. Serial No. 223,004.

inder This. mandrel moves vertically through the bed plate 2 and is provided with a guide (3.

The numerals 10 and 11 designate compressed air cylinders'of ordinary construction, one of which is located neareach end of the machine, and both of which are mounted on trunnions 12. The piston rods from these cylinders are each attached to a toggle, 13, one member of which is attached to the frame 1 of the machine, while the other is pivotally attached to the free end of a lever 15, the opposite end of which lever is pivoted to the frame 1. By means -of this construction, the movement of the piston in either of the cylinders 10 and 11, W11] cause the free ends of the levers to move toward. and away from the mandrel 3, which is located between the two levers 15.

()n the bed plate of the machine, in close proximity to one of the levers 15, l have placed a slidable yoke 20, against the rounded inner surface 3% of which the lever bears, and which is adapted to slide on the bed plate. To the ends-of this yoke I attach, pivotally, a pair of rods 21, the opposite end of which is attached to a bending finger 22 about midway of its length, by means of a pivot pin 23. The inner ends of these fingers are in turn pivoted to a backing block 25, so that when the yoke is moved along the bed plate of the machine, the rods 21 will cause the fingers to turn on their pivotal connections with the block 25, and to close around the mandrel. A bar of metal, as designated in dotted lines in Fi 1, when placed between the front edge 0% the backing block 25 and the mandrel, would, by the action of the yoke and bending fingers ust described,-be bent around the mandrel and thus would be formed the initial formation or first step in the link forming action;

The opposite lever 15 is also provided thisblock toward the mandrel around which the bar of metal has been given its initial bend, as above described.

In the initial bend, or first ste of the link formation one of the bending in I tremity, which permits it to raise above the horizontal line of the path of travel of the body of-the finger, and an inclined lug 28 is formed on the bed plate to insure the upward movement of this jointed portion when it reaches the end of its travel. This action of-thejointed portion of the finger will, duringthe bending of the blank or bar around the. mandrel, cause the one end thereof to be raised above the plane of the body of the link, so that, when the bending block 30 is moved toward the mandrel, it will exert the second or final link forming step upon the bar, byclosingthe ends of the bar around 7 the mandrel, but the upturned end Will/remain in that position, so that the link, when the mandrel has. been withdrawn, will appearin the form shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, bent to substantially an oval contour, but with the opening sprung for joining with another link in forming a chain,

As noted, the machine describedisintendeehnot'as. a chainmaking machine, but primarily as a linktorming machine, the links formed thereon being later joined to form a chain in any well known manner.

The bars from which 1the links are to be formed areplaced in the-position indicated,

- and the successive steps are taken, that is,

the air pistons are actuated in turn, as above described, the link is: formed, the mandrel withdrawn, and returned, and another blank bar placed position-.7

Itwill be noted that during the initial stepywhen the bar is being subjected to its first bending action, the backing block 25 will bear against the bar at about a point midway-of its length, and" prevent any backward bulging-at: that point while the ends are being termed around the mandrel. This J will1insure thepropercontour of the. link at thatipoint. V e

It will be: noted also that the play 01?" the bending: fingers and their connected rods is I suflioient to compensate for-any irregularigers 22 is- 'formed with a jointed portion 27 v at its exties due to variations in the metal or to wear of the parts, and that the fingers are adapted to engage the bar at points remote from its center and to produce a bending, and not a rolling action on the bar.

What I claim is 1. In a link forming machine, the combination of a frame having a bed plate, a duplicate set of toggles mounted on the frame, means for actuating said toggles, a slidable yoke movable horizontally by the action of one of said toggles and a bending block movable horizontally by the other toggle, a pair of rods pivotally attached to opposite ends of said yoke, a backing block on the bed plate between said rods, a pair of bending fingers pivotally attached to said rods and to said block, one of said fingers having a jointed portion at its extremity, and avertically movable mandrel around which said fingers are adapted to move.

2. In a link forming machine, the combination of a vertically movable mandrel, a bed plate through which the mandrel is adapted to move, means for actuating the mandrel, a horizontally movable yoke on the bed plate, pivotally mounted bending fingers carried by said yoke, one of which fingers is formed with a jointed extremity, means including a toggle for imparting slidable movement to said yoke and fingers, a backing block to which the fingers are pivoted, ahorizontally movable bending block, means including a toggle, for imparting a slidable movement to said bending block, and means for raising the jointed portion of the bending finger.

3. In alink forming machine, a frame, a bed plate, a vertically movable mandrel in the bed plate, means for actuating the mand rel a pair of? bending fingers adapted to embrace the mandrel, one of said fingers having a jointed portion means for raising said jointed portion as the fingers embrace the mandrel, a yoke to which the fingers are pivoted, a toggle device for moving the FRANK H. HOWARD.

patentuirag-be obtained f'orifivacents' (221034;..- fiyaddressing the -0ommtssioner ofi Patents, a Washington-,ILQH" 

